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4:11 pm

Mon September 9, 2013

Mississippi Voters Weigh In On Syria

President Obama is expected to go to Capitol Hill tomorrow to try to persuade Congress to authorize his plan for military strikes on Syria — just hours before he addresses the nation at 9 p.m. Eastern.

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President Obama is expected to go to Capitol Hill tomorrow to try to put the hard sell on Congress to authorize his plan for military strikes on Syria. A few hours later, he will address the nation at 9 PM, Eastern Time. Again, that's tomorrow. We're hearing from people from around the country on this issue. Some voters at a Mississippi Public Broadcasting event shared their thoughts with HERE AND NOW host Robin Young and reporter Jeffrey Hess.

LILLIAN FRANKFURT: I have a hard time believing that we can look at the pictures of the children that are dying and suffering and all the innocent people and not do anything about it. I do think that our response needs to be limited, but it just needs to be very firm. I don't see how we can close our eyes to what's going on over there.

SHARON CLARK: I hate to see us get involved again, but then you can't sit by while people are dying - innocent people are dying and do nothing.

GLENN WAHGULL: I think the pressures on the president, on the administration to - chemical weapons were used, and this is a major thing. So I think there's going to have to be some response to that.

GERALDINE CHERRY: I think if that were to occur here, I would want somebody to come and help us.

LISA THAMES: I keep vacillating. I want to support my president and my secretary of state. Right now, I think possibly I'm leaning towards pulling back. I don't know if my weariness of war is making me too conservative or, you know, I - that's it. That's it. And, you know, we've had 10 years of terrible drain of people and our treasure.

GRAHAM WELLS: I sympathize deeply, but I think that what happened in Rwanda and what's been happening in the Congo for the past 20 years are equally demanding of world efforts. And it always troubles me that we only go for humanitarian reasons where we have an axe to grind or benefit to be gained. And I think that people are people and deserve humanitarian help under every circumstance.

CHAKRABARTI: Well, we just heard from Lillian Frankfurt, Sharon Clark, Glen Wahgull, Geraldine Cherry, Lisa Thames and Graham Wells, about where they stand on U.S. action in Syria. Where do you stand? Go to hereandnow.org and share your thoughts. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.